Commonalities in Metabolic Reprogramming between Tobacco Use and Oral Cancer

Blake R. Rushing (), Spencer Tilley, Sabrina Molina, Madison Schroder and Susan Sumner
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Blake R. Rushing: Department of Nutrition, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Durham, NC 27599, USA
Spencer Tilley: Department of Nutrition, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Durham, NC 27599, USA
Sabrina Molina: Nutrition Research Institute, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Kannapolis, NC 28081, USA
Madison Schroder: Nutrition Research Institute, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Kannapolis, NC 28081, USA
Susan Sumner: Department of Nutrition, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Durham, NC 27599, USA

IJERPH, 2022, vol. 19, issue 16, 1-28

Abstract: Tobacco use is a major public health concern and is linked to myriad diseases, including cancer. The link between tobacco use and oral cancer, specifically, is very strong, making tobacco use one of the primary risk factors for oral cancer. While this association is well known, the underlying biochemical changes that result from tobacco use, and how this links to metabolic phenotypes of oral cancer, is not well understood. To address this knowledge gap, a combination of literature reviews and metabolomics studies were performed to identify commonalities in metabolic perturbations between tobacco use and oral cancers. Metabolomics analysis was performed on pooled reference urine from smokers and non-smokers, healthy and malignant oral tissues, and cultured oral cells with or without treatment of the well-known tobacco carcinogen 4-(methylnitrosamino)-1-(3-pyridyl)-1-butanone (NNK). Alterations in amino acid metabolism, carbohydrates/oxidative phosphorylation, fatty acid oxidation, nucleotide metabolism, steroid metabolism, and vitamin metabolism were found to be shared between tobacco use and oral cancer. These results support the conclusion that tobacco use metabolically reprograms oral cells to support malignant transformation through these pathways. These metabolic reprogramming events may be potential targets to prevent or treat oral cancers that arise from tobacco use.

Keywords: metabolomics; metabolism; oral cancer; smoking; tobacco use; carcinogen; cancer; metabolic reprogramming (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: I I1 I3 Q Q5 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2022
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